ATLANTA — Federal authorities arrested 18 immigrants in a raid in Georgia that targeted sex offenders and other at-large criminals.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said the operation was part of Operation Sex Offender Alien Removal, which targets illegal immigrants convicted of sex offenses.

The raid, which was conducted last week, captured a 34-year-old Mexican convicted of two counts of sexual battery in Appling County. It also nabbed a 47-year-old Nicaraguan man convicted of hit-and-run in California and sexual battery in Georgia.

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